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' (No ModeL) J GRAY. RAIL-ROAD 'SWITGH.

No. 260,674. Patented July 4, 1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH GRAY, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WEST- LEY HOLLENBECK, CONRAD B. SHEFLER, AND JACOB R. REED, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

RAI LROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 260,674, dated July 4, 1882, Application filed January 23. 1882. (1) omodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jos1AH GRAY, of Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan of my switch; Fig. 2, a

- side elevation of the switch-lever.

In the annexed drawings, A A designate the main-track rails, which are rigidly spiked to the cross-ties, and A designates a switch-rail,

which is pivoted at a to a cross-tie, and which forms a jointed section of one of the maintrack rails.

B designates a switch rail, which is pivoted at a tea cross-tie, and which forms the movable section of the siding. The immovable siding-rail B is a continuation of the maintrack rail A, as shown in Fig. 1. The-free beveled ends of the pivoted switch-sections A B are connected together by a tie-bar, C, so that said free ends are moved together upon long cross ties or sills K K by giving endwisc adjustment to said tie-rod. The rails A A are spiked down to the said cross-ties, and the free ends of the pivoted sections B A slide laterally on these cross-ties between the stationary rails. V

E designates a switch-lever, which is constructed with a weight, F, on its upper end and with tenous on its lower end. These tenons have their bearings in base-blocks Gr G, which are recessed into and rigidly spiked or bolted to the extensions of the two cross ties or sills K K.

The rails A A anda portion of the offset or siding rail B, and also the fulcrum bearingblocks G G, are all rigidly secured to and connected together by said cross ties or sills. Consequently said parts will always maintain their proper relative positions with respect to each other.

.posite end of which is pivoted to one end ot'the tie-rod C. r g It will be seen from the above description that the extreme lower end of'the loaded switch-lever E is pivoted to base-blocks rigidly secured to the same cross-ties, to which parts of the main-track rails and a part of one of the siding-rails are secured.

It will also be seen that my connecting-rod D is pivoted to said leverE above its fulcrum, thereby doing away with a frame or boxing and its necessary appliances.

The rock-shaft R, at the lower rod of the lever E, is of sufficient length to prevent in a great measure this lever from lateral vibration in its base-blocks G G, and the latter are so far apart that a broad base is afforded upon the ties K K or other fixed object. 7

To effectually prevent an undue lateral play or vibration of the loaded lever E, I bifurcate that end of the connecting-rod D which is pivoted to this lever, so that the rod E is taken hold ot'on two sides, and thus becomes a brace.

Having described myinveution, what I claim as new 1s- 1. Ina switch of the character described, the combination of a loaded vibrating switchlever having at its lower terminus an elongated rock-shaft terminating in journals, the blocks or boxes fixed to broad rigid bases, a bifurcated laterally-bracing connecting-rod, the tie-bar to which said rod is pivoted, the pivoted switch-rails, and the stationary maintrack rails, all substantially as described.

2. In a ball-lever switch,,the loaded lever, braced against lateral play by a rock-shalt, and broad supports therefor, in combination with a bifurcated connecting-rod or pitman, a tie-rod connecting the free ends of the beveled switch-rails, and the main-track rails, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

JOSIAH GRAY. 

